


Promise (He can't)

by VanessaWolfie



Series: Where Stiles hides, Derek finds him [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, M/M, Season/Series 03B
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-17
Updated: 2014-02-17
Packaged: 2018-01-12 21:16:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1200964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanessaWolfie/pseuds/VanessaWolfie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>When Derek finds Stiles in the woods, again, he feels it sink in. The world really is a cruel, cruel place.</i> </p>
<p>Where Stiles is hiding, trying to protect everyone else, Derek finds him again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promise (He can't)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Promise me Derek. Promise me you won't let it hurt anyone else.](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/36424) by M.G.Nemesi. 



> okay, so I never thought I'd do anything more to my super angsty sterek for season 3B. But then I crossed an amazing art on my dash the other day, and I said, well, I'll have to write something for this. And then when I started, it felt like it needed to be the same characters. Like this Derek needed to have found Stiles before. And now I can't promise this will be the end of it, because I don't think it will be. Bear in mind though that this has even less a happy ending than the first work.

When Derek finds Stiles in the woods, again, he feels it sink in. The world really is a cruel, cruel place. He finds Stiles, clinging to the ropes he‘s tied around his wrists and to the next tree. Derek gasps when he sees him. If he thought Stiles was broken when his mind was filled with things and thoughts that held no ground in reality, it‘s nothing compared to how Stiles‘ eyes look now. Now Derek can see the pain that comes from being scared of yourself. Afraid that you‘re going to be the cause for the next disaster waiting to happen. They don‘t shine brightly like Derek‘s grown to know, but instead, they look hollow, desperate and the light seems to be fading. Giving up. Derek feels his heart break a little more at the sight. As if it needed more hurt. He‘d promised that he‘d keep Stiles safe, keep horror away from Stiles, but now Stiles is the horror.

Stiles doesn‘t even seem to realize that Derek is there. He‘s so focused on keeping the demon from taking over that he doesn‘t hear the way the leaves creak under Derek‘s feet. He doesn‘t hear the wounded sound that escapes Derek when he realizes that he‘s failed to protect Stiles. How can it be fair that they get so much pain? A couple of people in the same town? Endless death and terror seemed to haunt them.

Derek comes up to the tree, slashes the ropes and when Stiles realizes he just lets his hands fall to his sides, defeated, like he knew the bonds weren‘t going to hold anyway.

“Derek, it’s inside me.”

Derek squeezes his eyes shut. Stiles sounds broken. Maybe for forever this time. Derek never wanted to hear that sound. It kills him to step a little closer, grab one of Stiles’ hands and nod.

“I know.” It sounds so empty, so unfair, so cold, but Derek honestly doesn’t know what else to say. What do you say when the boy you love is possessed and you don’t know how to fix it?

“I don’t know when it’s going to break out and take over. I can feel it sometimes, now that I know it’s there. It’s so horrible. It doesn’t care about you, or Melissa, Dad, Scott or any of the pack. It just wants. It won’t stop. Derek, how can I deal with this?”

Derek knows his inability to answer, to come up with a solution, his lack of knowledge is showing on his face. He knows it’s obvious to Stiles, clever intuitive Stiles, even broken like this.

Stiles just nods, looking defeated and Derek _hates_ how he can’t do anything to fix it. He doesn’t even realize Stiles is moving until he feels the weight of him in his arms. Stiles is curling up against Derek’s body, like if he moves close enough, he might sink into Derek and the wolf would throw the demon out. Derek wishes he could. He holds him, tries not to break at the smell of Stiles’ tears. He feels his wolf surface, the need to protect so strong, but there’s nothing he can do. How can he protect Stiles from himself?

“Promise me Derek. Promise me you won’t let it hurt anyone else.”

Derek doesn’t answer, he just wraps his arms tighter around Stiles. How can he promise something that might entail hurting Stiles? This skinny, little human boy that seems to seek trouble? That seems to lure it closer? Just like he lures Derek himself. 

He can’t.


End file.
